PENANG has formally retained its long-debated third link project within the Draft Penang State Structure Plan 2040, keeping both an undersea tunnel and a bridge option on the table for future development.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow explained that the project remains embedded in the draft structure plan because existing legal agreements with the awarded concessionaire remain valid, though actual construction depends on future state priorities and timelines.
"They are still there. The agreement is still valid and we have already awarded the tender to the company," Chow said following the launch of the publicity and public participation programme for the draft plan today.
Connecting Gurney Drive on the island directly to Bagan Ajam on the mainland, the proposed link is designated as an indicative project within the blueprint rather than a finalized construction pledge.
"Like many development areas and zones, they are shown only indicatively," Chow remarked, adding that execution ultimately rests with the sitting government or private sector entities operating within legal development-control zones.
Describing the Penang State Structure Plan 2040 as a strategic compass, Chow highlighted its role in shaping physical growth, environmental conservation, and heritage preservation for coming generations.
"What we plan today will determine the face of Penang in 2040 and the generations after it, because Penang 2040 is not merely the state government's vision; it is our shared future," he noted.
Chow appealed to federal and state government departments to put forward approved major projects during the feedback period to ensure accurate inclusion in the statutory document.
"It is important for us to include any proposal at the respective departmental level if approval has already been granted by the ministry to implement certain projects, especially major projects," Chow said.
"Provide this input during these public hearing sessions so that we can include these projects in RSN 2040. If there are plans that cannot be included, then when they are implemented, they will raise question marks among stakeholders, including the media, who will ask why this proposal is not in the RSN or in the local plan, for example."
Addressing concerns over Pulau Jerejak, Chow clarified that while development proposals appear in the plan, the vast majority of the island remains protected as permanent forest reserve, with past development announcements restricted to more than 80 acres of privately owned land.
"What was announced involves privately owned land, not the permanent forest reserve on Pulau Jerejak," Chow said, clarifying that infrastructure or utility works are the only activities permitted within the forest reserve boundaries.
On disaster preparedness, Chow confirmed that structural strategies within the plan account for environmental risks, including earthquake resilience.
PLANMalaysia director-general Datuk Alias Rameli disclosed that the structure plan study received RM2 million in funding under the Twelfth Malaysia Plan's Fifth Rolling Plan, with additional support lined up under the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan. Conducted over 12 months between April 2025 and April 2026, the draft plan is now open for a four-week public review ending 19 September.
Members of the public can inspect the draft at PLANMalaysia Penang in Komtar, the Seberang Perai City Council, five District and Land Offices, or via the e-Publicity 2.0 portal online. Alias confirmed that once gazetted under the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, the document will carry legal weight in guiding land use, economic expansion, and environmental management.
"We understand that development must take place. It must be sustainable, and we must blend and balance the needs of economic growth, environmental preservation, and social inclusivity," Alias stated. - August 17, 2026
